For the young dentition, conservative treatments such as teeth whitening and bondings are great options to help enhance a smile. In the case below the patient spent sometime whitening his teeth with the take-home kit we prescribed. After the teeth have lightened up to a shade where the patient was happy with, we used resin filling materials of various shades to bond to his front teeth. Chips and gaps can easily be filled in without any removal of tooth structure.

The “After” smile looks beautiful in person, and at conversational distance it is near impossible to detect where the bondings were placed.

Veneers are commonly used to enhance people’s smiles. Some patients choose to have a full arch of veneers to help change their entire smile. Some patients choose only a select number of veneers to help restore teeth with imperfections.

In the case below we used only four veneers on the upper four front teeth to rejuvenate the smile and get rid of old broken down composite fillings and bondings.

This week I received a beautiful flower arrangement from a patient. It really marks over twenty five years that I have been taking care of her teeth. Our professional relationship goes back to the days when I was still a dental student in the early 90's. My patient is committed to the upkeep of her dental health, and I try hard to deliver my best dental care to her.

Indeed, dental care requires a commitment from both the patient and the dentist. It really does not matter how well we perform the dentistry at the office. If the patient is not committed to home care, then dental problems will continue to worsen. Home care is not just about flossing and brushing. For example: in cases where the patient's bite and joints are considered at risk, staying committed to wearing the night guards will help minimize problems of excess wear and fractures of teeth and restorations in the mouth.

When the patient and the dentist develop a mutual understanding of the patient's dental condition and what it takes to maintain optimum dental health, the result can be long lasting, manageable, and predictable.

Smile Rejuvenation to replace old restorations or unattractive natural teeth is a customized process. Every single case begins with the diagnosis of the patient's current bite condition. Then, a comprehensive treatment plan is presented which incorporates the balance between Function and Esthetics.
The smile rejuvenation case below was achieved by taking into consideration the patient's personal preferences for things like tooth size, length, contour, colors, and detailed translucency characteristics. We replaced her old restorations with newly designed and fabricated restorations with the latest techniques and materials. This patient was very happy with the end result because it was exactly what she wanted. She did not want a "Hollywood Smile", but rather a natural looking attractive smile.

It is important to note that every single case is a different scenario, and the patient's preexisting condition of the natural dentition can change the treatment options for his/her case.

The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (www.aacd.com) celebrates 30 Years of Making Smiles this week. I am forever grateful for the founders and leaders of this organization who inspire and continue to promote the art and science of this aspect of dentistry.
Cosmetic Dentistry is not always about creating beautiful smiles with a mouthful of veneers. In many situations, mastering cosmetic dentistry allows dentists to give back the confidence that people may lose when damage to the front tooth occurs. We simply want to recreate what nature has intended for the teeth to look like.

I restored this patient's broken front tooth in 2006. Fast forward eight years, and this is what the patient has to say in a testimonial he posted on 4/30/2014:

I've been going to Dr. Alex since I was a kid and he's pulled everything from my baby teeth to adult teeth, and even replacing broken ones! He used to be located in Southside San Jose before moving his office to Saratoga, and although it's a further drive and it's out of the way, it's very much worth it. .....In 2006, I slipped and fell on my face and fell right on my mouth causing me to break more than 3/5 of my front tooth. My life honestly flash before my eyes that day thinking that I would have to go through the rest of my life looking worse than Jim Carey's character in Dumb and Dumber. Dr. Alex created a crown for me that looked almost identical to how my tooth was before and today you would never know that I have a crown in my smile. He's honestly one of the best out there if he could pull that miracle off, so I'm really glad that he's my dentist. Thank you!